Board of trade



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

E. S. REED. BOARD 0F TRADE.

No. 426,546. Patented Apr. 29, 1890*.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI S. REED, OF CIIATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

BOARD OF TRADE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,546, dated April 29, 1890.

Application filed J une 17, 1889. Serial No. 314,549. (No modell) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI S. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful i Improvements in Boards of Trade; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to an improvement in a board or device for playing various kinds of games, the invention being especially designated by me as a board of trade, the object thereof being to provide a simple, convenient, cheap, and ingenious toy for exemplifying the operations of chance in game processes, and for other purposes; and the iiivention consists, substantially, inthe construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating plan view of a portion of the inclined table.`

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the entire device. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the keys, a lug, and the adjacent parts, and shows a modication in the mode of fulcruming the key. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of the indicating-tables adapted for delineation upon the faces of a series of sixteen lugs.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the different figures of the drawings.

The frame of my improved device comprises the base G, of any suitable and desirable pattern and form and having convenient legs or supports; also an upright plate or part E, fastened to the base G at one side thereof, as shown, and also an inclined table or shelf A, the lower end of which is connected firmly to the upright E, while a brace f, consisting preferably of a wire rod, serves to uphold the other end of the inclined table, said brace being fastened to the base Gr, as well as to the table A, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 4. The table A, as well as the upright E, may be of parallel sides B B, which are narrow, so that their upper edges are only a short distance above the plane of the table, and also said table has the side C, similar to the sides B B and connecting said sides at that end of the table which is most elevated. The side'C is perforated with a series of round openings, preferably five in number, although there may be any number of them, and the table is provided outside of the perforated side C with a projecting ledge D, having depressions or cup-shaped liollows h h Z) therein, which depressions are placed opposite the perforations in the side C and are adapted to hold the balls 71, h. These balls are first laid within these fhollows or sockets, and then at the proper time they may be passed through these perforations in the side and caused to travel down the inclined table in the manner to be hereinafter explained.

Hinged to the inner face of the side C is a wire c, extending across the side face of the side C and provided with a series of V-shaped bends c c, one of which is located opposite each of the perforations in the side C. This wires serves as a gate, therefore, to close these perforations.

When the gate is properly positioned with its V-shaped bends across the perforations, the balls will be held in the sockets h b. When the gate is lifted, sogas no longer to afford obstructions, the balls can pass through the perforations and begin their course along the table.

One end of the wire which forms the gate is provided with a cord d, having a loop attached to the end thereof. Said end of the wire c has also a projecting Weighted arm d. The user of the device by pulling upon the cord CZ can open the gate, and when he lets go of this cord the weight d will serve to close the gate.

, The face of the inclined tableAis furnished with a parallel series of pins d ct, which are driven iirmly into the table at right angles thereto, said pins having suitable heads. There may be any number of these pins. I

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preferably locate them in the manner shown in Fig. 3. They are a sufficient distance apartv to permit the passage between them of the balls 7i..

The upright or vertical part E is provided with pins e, similar in kind and arrangement to the pins a, which are iixed upon the table A. The pins on the upright' E vproject horizontally therefrom. They are arranged at proper distances apart to permit the balls to pass between them, and some of these pins I preferably arrange in the manner shown inV Fig. 2, where it willfbe seen there arev certain rows e e e e. These pins are in a line'vertically inclined with relation to the vertical side of the upright. This arrangement of some of the pins tends to keep the 'descendingball away from the edge of the upright. and direct its movement toward the middle of the upright, so that it may properly strike the keys, as will be presently explained. The upright Eis furnished with vertical sides F F, and there is a suitable space between the upper end thereof and the lower edge of the` inclined table A to permit the balls which pass down through the table A to slip down yalongside of the board E. This will be clearly shown by an inspection of Fig. 4t. In front*y of the upright E is a glass plate, preferablyl a beveled-glass plate, which is held in place atl top and bottom by certain partsof the frame; and which serves to keep the descending balls from falling o the pins. This plate is fixed close up against the heads of the pins, asseen in Fig. 4, and this keeps the ball in; place duringits downward movement between said pins. j

The base portion G of the frame serves tol support a series of horizontal keys J. There may be any number of these keys. I am, restricted to no particular number. In theg" drawings I have preferably shown twelve of? them; but there may be any number. These@A keys are balanced beneath a horizontal bar K, which supports them and on which theyI are fulcrumed. Oneway of supportingthese keys is shown in Fig. 4, another way in Fig. 5. In Fig. 4 there is a pin projecting hori-l` zontally from the bar K and entering a small perforation in another pin or plate projecting from the upper edge of the key. In Fig. 5 the key J is hinged to the bar K. Either oney of these forms may be used. Other ways. of arranging the keys may also be devised-as,; for instance, hanging them on pivots.

4One end of the key J is located beneath S the pins on the upright E, while the other, end of the key is located beneath and in con-g tact with one member of a series of lugs I I. i The series of lugs I I is located horizontally? near the front of the base G, each lug I be` ing hinged to a horizontal cross-piece gin the base G. These lugs are preferably of the form of a quarter of acircle and are hinged l at xthat point which is the center of their arc. i The lug has one of its straight edges resting upon the upper edge of the end of the key J when this key is so balanced that its weight on the other side of its fulcrum will be sufficient to normally support the lug in this position. It is evident, however, that a small addition to the farther end of the key, which In Fig. 2 the series of lugs is shown pre-V senting their straight edges to view. If we look at Fig. l, we will see that the curved sides of the lugs are toward the upright E,

and thus removed from the View of one standing in front of the device. On the curved sides of these lugs are delineated'whatever indicating-tables may be desired in the game that is to be performed. .In Fig. 6 I have' shown a diagram representing one formot these indicating-tables, which serves to show the different conditions of the market. These tables are 'printed on small card-board strips, then fastened to the faces of the lugs. The tables may, however, be marked directly upon the lugs, if desired'. In the example shown in Fig. 6 it will be seen that eight of the cards shall be red and the other remaining eight white-that is to say, the white and the red will alternate witheach other throughout the series. j

The operation of -my improved device or board of trade will beseen at a glance after reading theforegoing description of the construction and arrangement of the several parts. If live balls are to raceon the field,

they may be placed within the receivingsockets b ZJ, and then by a proper movement of 'the gate they'may beset free and-caused tosimultaneously start on their journey. They will pass down the inclined board and. then down through the pins on the upright until they strike the keys, and by moving them cause the lugs to be turned forward and certain ysigns or indications exposed to view. After the balls leave the end of the keys, which are preferably made inclined, so as to let'them slide easily and quickly over the same, they will drop down into a spout or trough L, which will convey them out from beneath the base G, whence they may be taken for use again.

When it is desired to use only one ball, it can be placed in the middle depression of the liange or-ledge D, and when the gate is raised it will start through the middle perforation of the side C, and thus pass along down over the inclined table and alongside of the upright.

Having thus described myinvention, whatI claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination ofthe uprightpart provided with horizontally'projecting pins, the

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inclined table having upwardly-projecting pins, and arranged with its lower end connected to the upper end of the upright, and one or more rolling objects adapted to move on said inclined and upright parts, substantially as` described.

2. The combination of a fulcrumed and balanced key and a quadrant-shaped lug hinged at the center point of its arc and resting'normally on one end of said key, together With a falling object adapted to actuate the key, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the upright part provided With horizontally-projecting pins, the inclined pin-provided table having its loWcr end connected to the top of the upright, the base of the frame, one or more keys fulcrumed and balanced therein, and a quadrantshaped lug hinged at the center of its arc and resting normally on one end of the key, the other end of which is adapted to be struck by a ball, so as. to shift the lug, substantially as described.

4L. The combination of the pin-provided up right, the pin-provided inclined table having its lower end connected to the top of the upright, with a suitable space between them to permit the passage of the balls, the base of the frame, a series of keys i'ulcrumed and balanced therein, one end ot' each key being beneath. the pins on the upright, and the series of hinged lugs nbrmally resting upon the keys and adapted to be shifted by the action of the keys When they are struck by the balls, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the base G, the series of keysJ, fulcrumed and balanced therein, and the series of quadrant-shaped lugs I, hinged at the center of their arc and having their curved edges marked with proper indications and resting normally upon one end of the keys, together with the ball or balls, substantially as described. I

6. The combination of the base G, the pinprovided inclined board A, the pin-provided upright E, to the top 0f Which the lower end of the incline is connected, the series of keys J, fulcrumed and balanced in the base, and the series of hinged lugs I, resting normally on one end of the keys, together with the rolling devices, substantially as described. 7. The combination of the inclined board A, having` pins a d and sides B B, the upright E, having pins e e and sides F F, said incline A having its lower end connected to the top of the upright, the glass Hin front of upright E, the base G, the fulcrumed and balanced keys J in said base, and the hinged lugs I, resting on the keys, together With the rolling devices, substantially as described.

S. The combination, With the pin-provided table A, its sides B B, and perforated side C,

of the ledge D, having depressions Z9 l?, and the gate consisting of Wire c, having V- shaped bends c' c,vsubstantially as described.

9. The combination, With the pin-provided inclined board having a perforated upper side, of a ledge having depressions opposite the'perforations tohold the balls and a movable gate alongside ot said perforations, as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ELI S. REED.

Vitnesses:

J. B. RovvLns, W. P. McCLA'rcHY.- 

